Runaway
by iamhermionemalfoy
Summary: Tomoyo wonders where her dream man would reside, and Sakura helps her by handing her a globe. A fluffyhumor ET fic.:D
1. Unexpected Meetings

Runaway 

By cenagurl

A/n: My very first CCS fic… please review!c:

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Chapter 1: Unexpected Meetings

"Sakura-chan, I just don't know how I can take this any longer," Daidouji Tomoyo wailed out to her best friend in utter despair, her newly-manicured slender fingers running rather too sharply through her long ebony locks, a habit she usually does when she's nearing a point of insanity.

Kinomoto Sakura gazed at her best friend with sympathy in her emerald eyes. Pushing back an errant brown lock of shoulder length hair from her face, she reached over and gently pulled away Tomoyo's hands from her unfortunate hair.

"You're going to make yourself bald if you don't stop that, Tomoyo-chan," she said with a smile, which Tomoyo had trouble returning.

"I just wish okaa-san would stop this nonsense already," she whispered with a weary sigh.

"Your mom wants only the best for you, Tomoyo-chan," Sakura said slowly, and Tomoyo scoffed. "And having a husband I don't love is the best for me?" she asked, unable to hide the cynicism in her voice.

"I swear, Sakura-chan, I'd rather enter a convent than to have to marry one of guys okaa-san keeps matching with me," Tomoyo said fervently, her hyacinth eyes brightening with emotion.

"It is kind of odd that Sonomi-san wants you to get married so suddenly," Sakura mused aloud, her right hand cupping her chin as she tried to analyze the situation.

"Hmm… Could it be… HOE?!"

Sakura's face had turned very red, and she stared open-mouthed at Tomoyo, who was giving her a questioning look.

"What is it, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked worriedly as Sakura clutched her chest, her breathing heavy, still red-faced.

"C—could it be—could it be—that Tomoyo-chan's pregnant?" Sakura shrieked out, her voice echoing around Tomoyo's spacious bedroom.

Tomoyo could only stare at her best friend in surprise. "N—Nani?" she sputtered out, flushing. "Sakura-chan no baka! How could I get pregnant when I—when I—" she couldn't seem to get the words out, but Sakura was quickly enlightened.

"You've never had a boyfriend," Sakura finished for her. "I'm so sorry Tomoyo-chan, it was a pretty stupid comment," she apologized, and the raven-haired girl nodded her acceptance.

"Well anyway… the reason why you've never had a boyfriend is because you're too choosy," Sakura said to fill the sudden silence. "I've seen many broken hearts you've left on your wake every time your mom hosts one of her endless parties, and there are many disappointed suitors as well that walk away from you when you give them your trademark pout and pleading violet eyes, saying in the nicest possible way that they're just not your type,"

"I just haven't found the right one yet," Tomoyo said softly as she gazed outside her wide bay window. "I haven't found the one who does not only shower me with compliments and all those nonsense… I want someone with more… uniqueness in him, I suppose,"

"Unique as in… weird?" Sakura asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No! Unique as in… well… oh, I know you know what I'm talking about," Tomoyo said tiredly as she moved from the window to her bed, where she plopped down heavily, her ebony curls bouncing behind her back as she did so.

"Someone who makes your heart skip a beat without saying anything?" Sakura tried, receiving a nod from Tomoyo.

"And makes you feel a rush of happiness without even making an effort?"

"Exactly,"

"Someone whose mere stare could make your knees buckle?"

"Right,"

"And who could fill up the empty space in your life?"

"Just what I had I had in mind, Sakura-chan,"

"And someone---"

"Alright, I understand you already have an idea of what I'm looking for in a man!" Tomoyo cut off, but Sakura continued, "Someone who would love you for who you are, not what you are,"

Tomoyo couldn't resist giving her best friend a quick hug. "I just hope I know where to find him so okaa-san would stop matching me with every bachelor she meets," she whispered with a sad note in her voice.

Sakura's eyes suddenly brightened up, and she hastily grabbed the small globe on Tomoyo's study table. "I know!" she said excitedly, dropping down beside Tomoyo on the bed. She handed the globe to Tomoyo, who gave her a quizzical look in return.

"Spin the globe," Sakura ordered, and Tomoyo mutely did as she was told. "Spin it harder! That's it—then, stop it now with your pointing finger!" again Tomoyo followed, getting more bewildered by the second.

"Okay, look at the place where your finger's pointing at," Sakura said, peering over Tomoyo's shoulder to also see for herself.

"England?" Tomoyo said, and Sakura gave her a thump on the back.

"Congratulations Tomoyo-chan, you have just found the place where your dream man resides,"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

…And so this was how Tomoyo found herself in London a week later, sitting in a café as she waited for her order. She wished Sakura had accompanied her, but her best friend was swamped with business and her oncoming wedding with Li Syaoran.

Tomoyo had been reluctant to leave Japan at first, as she too was busy with her modeling agency, but when her mom had invited over yet another of those bachelors over at their house, she decided she needed a break. So she quickly bought a ticket to England, where she would be staying for a week.

If her mystery dream guy still hasn't shown himself to her by then, she would have no choice but to come back home and seriously enter a convent.

"Here's your order miss," a friendly-looking waiter with kind brown eyes appeared in front of her with her café latte and blueberry cheesecake, and she gave him an amiable thanks as she half-heartedly dug into her food.

After eating, she walked into some shops to buy some souvenirs for her friends, although she couldn't help but purchase a few expensive clothes and accessories for herself as well.

She had met a few handsome men along the way, but she still did not feel any connection with them at all. Feeling quite disappointed, she trudged back to the hotel she was staying at and called it a night.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Tomoyo woke up at precisely quarter to seven the next day, and as she usually did at home, went out for an early walk in the park. Wearing a cute pink sweatshirt and her old Tomoeda jogging pants, she was off.

There were already some people in the park when she began her walk; there were also joggers and bikers out for a morning exercise, and there was a group of children having soccer practice at the fields.

After two hours of walking and jogging, Tomoyo decided to sit by the bleachers near the fields as she rested her tired legs. Raising a cold bottle of mineral water to her thirsty lips, she watched the group of children still practicing.

One of them made a particularly bad kick, and a man Tomoyo assumed to be their coach went over to the field and gave the poor boy a lecture about proper positioning of the feet on the ground.

The coach then placed a soccer ball a few feet from the boy, moved back and blew his whistle. The boy quickly went running as he finally made a perfect kick, the ball flying into the air… straight into Tomoyo's face.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Hiiragizawa Eriol slapped a hand across his face as the soccer ball hit the poor woman sitting on the bleachers full in the face with a loud thud, and the whole team groaned as they gave Davies, the boy who kicked the ball, an evil glare.

'Just great. It's my first coaching session and we nearly kill a woman,' he thought.

"Roberts! You killed her!" Tiffany Campbell hollered from behind, and those words sprang the team to life; hurriedly they ran towards the bleachers to see how injured the woman was.

Eriol reached the woman first, and he quickly pushed away her long curly ebony locks to reveal the most beautiful face he had seen in his whole life. The ball had smudged dirt on her pale cheeks, but aside from that, no other damage seemed to be done. Physically that is.

Her eyes were closed, and her breathing seemed to be faint. Feeling quite worried, he gently shook the woman by the shoulder, urging her to wake up.

The rest of the team had circled around them, and the poor Davies Roberts looked ready to cry.

"Have I killed her?" he asked. "No, but you knocked her unconscious," Eriol said dryly as he shook the woman once more.

At this, her eyes flew open, and Eriol found himself staring into the most enchanting violet eyes, which at the moment gazed at him confusedly. "W—Who—?" she started to say, and blinking, she slowly straightened up to look at the crowd of people circled around her.

"You're alright!" Davies cheered, dropping down on his knees to give her a hug. The woman seemed startled at the contact at first, but then she gave him a squeeze as she said, "I'm alright,"

"I'm so sorry! I was the one who hit you with the ball!" the boy sniffed, and she awkwardly patted him on the head.

"I know you did not mean to hit me…" she murmured, and her eyes snapped up to meet Eriol's, who has been watching her the whole time with an amused smile on his face.

As they stared into each other's eyes, she suddenly blurted out, "Hiiragizawa-kun?" and quite bewildered, he responded in Japanese, "You know me?"

She gave a single nod as she gave him a mysterious smile. 'Wait a minute,' he thought as he gazed at her mouth. 'It couldn't be…'

"Daidouji-san?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

A/n: Chapter one's done! Please tell me what you think, if I should continue the story or not… review, onegai?c:


	2. Tittletattles

Runaway 

By cenagurl

A/n: My very first CCS fic… please review!c:

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Chapter 2: Tittle-tattles

Eriol couldn't help but ogle stupidly at the woman in front of him. How could he not recognize her? She still had the look of the sly cam-cording little girl he had for a classmate almost twelve years ago.

Her ebony hair was still long and lustrous, curling softly at the ends, while her hyacinth eyes still held the same innocence and a hint of impishness he had come to notice since he first studied in Tomoeda.

The only difference was that she had the body of a woman now, which he couldn't help but become aware of. The pink sweatshirt she was wearing fit her rather snugly, and he could also tell her legs were slim and long beneath her jogging pants.

Forcing himself to stop scrutinizing her so openly, he cleared his throat and said, "Are you alright now, Daidouji-san?"

Tomoyo gave him an assuring nod, looking a little embarrassed. She must have noticed me staring at her, he thought, cringing inwardly. He really should put a little control over his roving eye.

But he had an excuse; he had gone too long without paying so much attention to women—five years to be exact. He had not looked at another since Kaho left him to return to Japan for Touya Kinomoto.

He wasn't too fond of women then, but it didn't mean he was turning gay or considering priesthood, just that he needed a break. But now it seemed that his break was over. Way over.

"I didn't know you were here," he said, in a way to start a conversation.

"I'm here for a vacation," Tomoyo answered, her cheeks turning into a brighter shade pink, piquing Eriol's curiosity. Was she discomfited with something?

"I see," he responded, his curiosity piqued. "But may I ask, why England, of all places?"

"Well… Sakura-chan sort of recommended it to me," she told him, the color still high on her cheeks. Yes, she definitely looked uncomfortable with something, which was obviously the topic of her coming to England.

And since Eriol was ever the gentleman, he wouldn't prod her any further… for now.

"Well, then, since I owe you for getting injured by my student, I could probably repay you by um, maybe becoming your tour guide or something?" he asked with a hesitant note in his voice. "That is only if you're interested," he rushed out when she wouldn't answer. "It is only an offer after all,"

"But I am accepting, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said with a smile. Eriol felt his stomach clench with an unfathomable feeling at her dazzling smile. Even when they were still at their elementary years in Tomoeda, Tomoyo already had this strange power to make him feel uncomfortable.

Her small smiles, her sly glances, her witty comments… they had all caused that ever familiar clenching feeling in his stomach, which seemed to travel way up to his heart. Up to now he still couldn't identify what it was, because only she made him feel that way.

"… tomorrow, perhaps?" she was saying, and he stopped his rambling thoughts to listen.

"Alright then," he said absently, not having any idea what he was agreeing to. "Tomorrow,"

Tomoyo then stood up and gathered up her things. "I have to go, Hiiragizawa-kun, I promised Sakura-chan I would be waiting for her call before lunch," she said. "I'll meet you tomorrow at the hotel I'm staying at, okay? 8:00 at the receiving area,"

"Yes," he answered, still distracted by his reaction to her. The feeling was surely foreign to him, as when he had been with Kaho, he always felt at ease. When he realized he was comparing her to his old love, he stopped cold.

"Hell," he muttered, running a hand through the black locks of his hair. Now that was unexpected.

Tomoyo gave him one last smile before departing, and he was left staring at her retreating form until she disappeared from his range of sight.

"Sir Eriol, are you alright?"

Eriol snapped back to reality when he heard Tiffany's voice, and he suddenly remembered that his students were still there and had witnessed the whole exchange between him and Tomoyo.

"Of course I am," he replied automatically, and glowered when the children gave him dubious looks.

"But sir, your face is a little red, and your eyes looked kind of crossed…" Andrew Jung, his half-Chinese student said, looking up at him in awe.

"Yes, and they're all sparkly, like Michael's eyes when he sees truffles being served on the dining table," Jordan added, referring to his other teammate, who had a pudgy body build and piggy eyes.

The females in the team were giggling behind their hands as they whispered about the mysterious lady Davies nearly killed, each wondering how she was connected to their equally mysterious coach, who had not showed normal human feelings until that moment.

"Alright, that's enough," Eriol growled, and the kids quickly sobered up, knowing that he could really be a prick when riled. And boy, was he showing the symptoms already.

"Back to the field, all of you, and anyone who couldn't kick the ball to the base after this practice will _really_ get it,"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Sakura-chan, you wouldn't believe this…" was Tomoyo's opening line when she answered her best friend's call back at the hotel. She was perched by the window overlooking the huge swimming pool and gardens outside, having just finished taking her shower.

"What is it, Tomoyo-chan? Have you found **HIM**?" Sakura asked excitedly.

"No!" Tomoyo said a little too defensively. Well, it was true after all, because the only male that had caught her attention today was Eriol, not counting the poor boy who had hit her with the soccer ball. "Although I did see someone, Sakura-chan, an old classmate of ours back in elementary…"

"Eriol-kun, right?" Sakura surmised. "Is he well?"

"Well yes, it is him, but do you know that he works here as a soccer coach? I had thought he would be approaching a more inactive work, like a pianist or something," Tomoyo told her. "And he's looking quite well actually, a little tanned maybe from coaching,"

"I'm glad he's doing well," Sakura stated softly that Tomoyo barely heard her. "After Kaho-chan had returned here and married onii-chan, I had thought that he would have a hard time moving on,"

"From what I see, I think he took the news quite well," Tomoyo said thoughtfully, recalling in full detail Hiiragizawa's healthy shape. He did not look aggrieved as well, for his blue eyes had twinkled with vitality as he spoke to her a while ago, and the smile that lingered on his lips seemed sincere.

"So," Sakura started, choosing her words carefully. "How does he look like right now? It's been twelve years, after all, since he last came here," she asked nonchalantly.

"Well, he still looks pretty much the same, just taller and a little tanner," Tomoyo answered slowly. "And he has grown his hair longer too, just below the shoulders, and I think he switched to contacts from glasses now,"

"I see," Sakura replied perkily. "Tell me honestly, Tomoyo-chan, do you find him handsome?"

Bingo.

Tomoyo felt heat rise up her cheeks at Sakura's question. During their grade school years she had always found him dashing, and how she saw him earlier was no different. She thought he looked even better.

"Well…" she paused, thinking of a way to tell her best friend without her thinking that she was actually considering him. "I guess so," she finally said.

"You guess so?" Sakura echoed. "I want a more concrete answer, Tomoyo-chan, yes or no it is,"

Tomoyo sighed. "Alright, I still find him as handsome as ever," she answered in a defeated voice. She could never lie to Sakura, so there was no use in going around the bush.

She was startled when Sakura gave a squeal at the end of the line.

"Sakura-chan, what is it, are you—"

"My God, Tomoyo-chan, you said **STILL**!! **STILL**!!!!!" Sakura shrieked, and Tomoyo could just imagine her bouncing merrily in her bedroom.

"What? So?" Tomoyo asked, confused.

"It means you found Eriol-kun handsome even way before you saw him again! Oh, he's probably you're soul mate, Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura said triumphantly, and Tomoyo sighed in defeat. 'A mere slip of the tongue and Sakura makes hasty conclusions,' she thought grimly.

"Are you over at Touya's? I thought I heard Ayame's laugh," Tomoyo said, steering her away from the ridiculous topic regarding Hiiragizawa Eriol.

"Oh no, Touya only left her under my care because he accompanied Kaho-chan to the doctor for a pregnancy test," Sakura answered. "But nice try on trying to maneuver me away from the subject at hand," she said cheekily, and Tomoyo couldn't help but laugh.

"You know me well, Sakura-chan," she responded smilingly.

"How did you and Eriol-kun cross paths anyway?" Sakura asked, sounding genuinely interested. Tomoyo then rehashed to her how one of Eriol's students struck her on the head with a soccer ball, and Sakura's merry laugh echoed at the end of the line.

"Sorry, sorry, I did not mean to laugh, but honestly, Tomoyo-chan, isn't that a **Unique** way of reuniting with Eriol-kun?" Sakura said when she got a hold of herself, emphasizing on the word UNIQUE.

"Yes, unique it really was," Tomoyo said dryly. "I have a bruise on my forehead as proof, you know,"

At that Sakura's voice turned completely serious. "Oh, are you hurt badly, Tomoyo-chan? I'm so sorry I laughed, it's just pretty hard to imagine such a graceful woman like you getting slammed by a ball right in the face,"

"Daijoubu desu, Sakura-chan," she assured her best friend. Just as she was about to say something, something on the radio caught her attention. A song was playing, and as she listened to the lyrics, she realized that the song suited her perfectly.

"Sakura-chan, do you know this song?" she asked, turning up the volume of the radio so Sakura could hear the song.

_I'm not looking for someone to talk to_

_I've got my friends, I'm more than okay_

_I've got more than a girl could wish for_

_I live my dreams, but it's not all they say…_

_Still I believe, I'm missing something real_

_I need someone who really sees me…_

"…Well?" Tomoyo queried after a few seconds.

Sakura gave a sheepish laugh at the end of the line. "The Corrs, I think," she said thoughtfully. "I'm not really sure, Tomoyo-chan, but know what? I think the song suites you perfectly,"

"Yes, I think so too," Tomoyo agreed, turning down the volume once more. "But do you think I can really find the right man here?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Well, it is worth a try," Sakura replied. "All we can be sure of is that he's there. Somewhere."

Somehow Tomoyo didn't feel like there was a "someone" "somewhere".

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

"Master will be celebrating his twenty-second birthday in a week," Nakuru mused aloud, and Suppi rolled his lion eyes (is this possible? LoL :D) as his companion stated the obvious for the thousandth time that day.

"I wonder what gift we could offer him this year," she continued, not seeming to notice what the little black lion had just done as she paced restlessly around the living room of Eriol's mansion(he would have been stuffed to death with sweets if she did). "Gaah, it's sooo hard to think of a present for someone who already has everything!"

But then she suddenly stopped, and blinked. "Wait a minute… he doesn't have everything yet!! He still hasn't got a—"

"Oh please, I don't want to hear this," Suppi actually wailed, covering his floppy ears with his paws as he fluttered away.

"—a woman!" she finished with a flourish, a big grin splitting on her face.

"Eriol-sama wasn't a bit amused when you sent him that a-go-go dancer two years ago," Suppi reminded her in a voice that dripped with sarcasm. "So don't even think about it, baka,"

"But he needs someone who can make him forget about that—that Kaho!" Nakuru said indignantly, stomping her foot in emphasis. "She was such a witch to have left our master broken-hearted!"

"You're just mad at her because she married 'your' Touya," Suppi countered. "Well, keep in mind, you're just a cross-dressing transvestite, whereas Kaho is a _real _woman,"

"Gaaah, Suppi-chan no hitoi!" Nakuru shrieked in outrage, making a grab for the flying miniscule lion. "I don't care if she married Touya, the reason I hate her so is that she hurt master's feelings!"

"Aurrggh, let me go, you fag!" Suppi yelled as Nakuru managed to grab him by his tail. He tried to wiggle out of her grasp as she brought out a cookie from her pocket.

"Let me go, let me go, let me—oomph!" Nakuru gave a victorious smile as she crammed the whole cookie into his mouth.

"Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, a woman… she should be special, of course, and good enough for master…"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

A/n: hope you liked it. :D review, onegai? c:


	3. On Henpecking and Strangers

Runaway 

By cenagurl

A/n: My very first CCS fic… please review!c:

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Chapter 3: On Henpecking and Strangers

"This wouldn't do," Tomoyo said for the twenty-third time as she scanned herself in front of the vanity mirror, shaking her head at the inappropriateness of her outfit. She quickly slipped it off and went rummaging through her dresser once more—fortunately for her, she had brought almost her entire wardrobe so she had a variety to choose from.

But the question was, what should she wear? The clothes she had tried on were surely piling up atop her bed, and she had approximately an hour before she would be meeting with Eriol.

She couldn't understand why she was making such an effort to look good for him, but quickly reasoned out that she always made sure she looked good for everyone anyway, being an owner of a modeling agency and all that.

She then plucked out her most comfortable white tank top and denim miniskirt from their respective hangers and efficiently put them on, accentuating the outfit with a long beaded necklace. Simplicity has always been her answer when she couldn't find a suitable outfit.

She glanced at the clock overhead and saw that she had thirty more minutes. She then proceeded to put up her hair in a bun but succeeded in only messing her thick tresses. On the third try, she finally managed to do it, although it still looked a little disordered for her meticulous eyes.

Giving up all hopes of creating the perfect chignon, she just brushed her hair and left it down, just putting on a headband the same color as her necklace. After that Tomoyo splashed a bit of perfume on her wrists and behind her ears as well, slipped on her flip-flops (yes, she really did dress down), took one last look at the mirror and grabbed her purse from the dresser as she rushed out of her room.

She quickly scanned the receiving area for her companion but there was no sign of him; she glanced at her watch and saw that she was five minutes early.

Tomoyo then took a seat on one of the gold-gilded lounge chairs as she waited for Eriol, gaining unwanted glances from the passers-by, especially the men. It must be the skirt, she thought to herself, discreetly tugging her miniskirt so as too display lesser flesh, but it seemed that she was doing it in vain.

Just then, a blonde-haired man with arresting green eyes walked towards her and arrogantly took up the empty space on the couch she was sitting on. She stiffened and tried to wriggle towards the opposite end so as not to touch him, but again he hogged what space she left between them.

"Hi," the stranger said, turning to her with a roguish smile that Tomoyo thought had made lots of woman fall at his feet. She made of sterner stuff though, not feeling anything except a small twinge of admiration at his charm.

"Ohayou gozaimasu," she responded in Japanese, and he shot her a confused look. "Odekake desu ka?"

"Pardon?" The man scratched his head in confusion. "Damn, a foreigner, I should have known," he gave Tomoyo a slanted smile. "Do-you-speak-English?" he asked slowly, as though he thought all foreigners were stupid and had knowledge about the English language just as a goat would have.

"Iwanu ga hana, Stranger-san," she said with her trademark Tomoyo smile, standing up and leaving the confused guy sitting there with a dazed look on his handsome face.

As she began to walk away, she saw Eriol walking briskly towards her, looking very handsome in a simple red shirt and khaki shorts. Tomoyo couldn't ignore the fluttering feeling in her stomach at the sight of him, all sophisticatedly handsome despite the casualness of his outfit.

"Hiiragizawa-kun," she greeted him with a slight bow, which he returned with a flourish.

"It's either you're early or my watch has malfunctioned," he said, giving a brief glance at his watch. "There's still one minute before eight in my watch, I'm afraid,"

"Your watch is fine, Hiiragizawa-kun," Tomoyo replied. "I went down early,"

"Hey, Eriol, you dog!" The blonde stranger appeared beside Tomoyo, and Eriol gave him a rather forced smile. "This your woman? She's hot, but she doesn't seem to speak any English,"

Eriol gave Tomoyo a look of slight surprise. "You two have met?" he asked in his perfect English, his question directed to the male stranger.

"Just before you arrived," the blonde answered. "I just couldn't resist not hitting on her, but hell, she didn't speak to me in any language that I could decipher!"

Eriol couldn't help but laugh. "I guess you're just not her type, Grayson," he responded, giving Tomoyo a sidelong glance.

Grayson gave a look of mock surprise. "Me? Not a type of any woman? You wound me, Eriol," he grinned charmingly at Tomoyo, and she returned his smile, though reluctantly. She seemed to miss the slight frown on Eriol's face.

"So, do you speak English after all, miss?" Grayson asked her. "Was your 'I-speak-nothing-but-this-incomprehensible-language' just a ploy to ward me off?"

"Mi ni oboe no nai koto da!" she said with much indignation, but Eriol did not miss the devilish glint in her violet eyes. He couldn't help but laugh at her charming wickedness.

"She doesn't seem to appreciate your attention, Gray," Eriol said, surprising Tomoyo when he reached over and took her hand. "Aren't we supposed to be leaving now, Daidouji-san?" this he said to Tomoyo, in Japanese.

"Aw, not you too, Eriol!" Grayson pretended to whine like a child. Were another full-grown man to do it, they would have looked funny or stupid, but with Grayson, he actually looked adorable. "Anyway, the two of you are going on a date, hmm?"

Tomoyo blushed at Grayson's terminology. Well, it did seem a little bit like a date…

"Sort of," Eriol answered, giving Tomoyo's hand, which was still encased against his, a small squeeze. Her cheeks burned more at his statement.

She was startled out of her wits when Grayson leaned over and pinched her hot cheek. "You are so cute," Tomoyo wondered how he could say such thing without sounding like a doting aunt or worse, a darned gay. "Eriol's damned lucky to have a girlfriend as gorgeous as you,"

"We're going to be late, Daidouji-san," Eriol cut in, tugging Tomoyo towards him, not in a harsh manner. "We better get going, Grayson. You're staying in this hotel too, I assume? I'll get in touch with you soon,"

Before Grayson could even wave goodbye, Eriol had turned and dragged Tomoyo with him outside the hotel, the warm shafts of sunlight hitting their skin not painfully.

"How do you two know each other, Hiiragizawa-kun?" Tomoyo asked, shielding her eyes from the sun's glare with her hand.

"We were classmates in Cambridge when I was in college," Eriol replied easily. "He was always conceived as the brainless heartthrob but behind his airhead attitude, he quite possesses an intelligent mind,"

"So that's why you two seem close," Tomoyo commented, very much aware of the fact that Eriol was still holding her hand.

They crossed the street and turned to a corner where Eriol led her to a café. "I'm hungry, Daidouji-san," he told her as they entered. "Have you eaten breakfast? Order anything you want, my treat,"

"H-hai," was all she could say as he seated her on a comfy chair across him. As they waited for their orders, Tomoyo asked him further about what he had been doing in England after he left Japan.

"I continued my studies, of course," Eriol said off-handedly. "Nakuru always pestered me every holidays to take them to Japan for a vacation, but I didn't seem inclined then,"

"And why is that?" Tomoyo couldn't help but ask.

"I wasn't sure if we would be welcome," he answered honestly.

"Why would you think that?" Tomoyo asked, quite taken aback. "Sakura and the others would surely be glad to see you again, especially Yamazaki, who was grumbling throughout our high school days about the loss of his partner-in-crime way back in elementary,"

Eriol gave a sheepish smile. "I do miss everyone in Japan… perhaps I shall take a vacation there on my birthday,"

"And when is your birthday?" Tomoyo queried, an eyebrow raised.

"In less than a week," came his almost inaudible reply. He suddenly looked like he was contemplating a serious matter.

"Nani desu ka, Hiiragizawa-kun?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm just thinking what Nakuru could possibly have plotted for my birthday this year…"

"You make it sound so dangerous," Tomoyo remarked amusedly.

"You don't know the half of it," Eriol said with utter seriousness that she couldn't help but laugh.

"Surely it couldn't be that bad, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said.

"She hired three strippers on my eighteenth birthday," he told her, and she laughed, knowing Nakuru's power to do the most implausible things. She could just imagine three half-naked women dancing around a stiffly embarrassed Eriol.

"And the following year, she thought it would be nice to leave alone in my house on my birthday with an Indian female belly dancer who had brought along with her a complete set of the Kama Sutra,"

Tomoyo pressed a hand to her lips to stifle her laughter at that.

"And on my twentieth birthday, she had a truck deliver an impossibly huge package for me, and in the middle of the formal party where most teachers and staff from the school I'm teaching in were in attendance, this a-go-go dancer suddenly bounced out from the box and danced in front of me wearing nothing but twin coconuts to cover her bosom and a grass skirt,"

At that Tomoyo couldn't hold her laughter any longer. Her giggles went out uncontrollably, sounding very much like the laughing little imp she was back then.

"God, I can't believe Nakuru-san would do something so outrageous—"

She fell back into a helpless fit of laughter again, not noticing Eriol look at her intently, an undecipherable sparkle visible in his cerulean eyes.

But then again, even he was not aware in the change she was beginning to make in him.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Eriol was quick to notice the impossible length of the skirt she was wearing as they strolled around the city. The short denim mini skirt showed her long, creamy legs which, he wondered, would feel a satiny as it look.

Obviously the men around had begun to notice too; but Tomoyo seemed used to the attention to care. He was glad she ignored their interest although he still could not help feeling protective of her.

"Oh, look at those pretty flowers, Hiiragizawa-kun!" she said, turning to him with delight in her beautiful hyacinth eyes. "Orange blossoms, aren't they called?"

"Yes," he responded, glancing at the blooms with interest. "How much for a bouquet of this, ma'am?" he asked the peddler in English.

"Oh no, there's no need—" Tomoyo started to say, also in English, and Eriol gave her a mischievous grin.

"So, it was a ploy," he said, wagging a finger at her.

"Well of course it was! How could I survive the business world if I don't know the English language? I'm not the helpless dolt your friend seemed to think a while ago, you know," Tomoyo said hotly, her English perfect and well-matching his own, save hers lacked the British accent that laced his.

"I did not mean it that way, Daidouji-san," Eriol said, looking amused. "I was only kidding, you know,"

Tomoyo did not reply, half-embarrassed that she overreacted.

"But still I apologize," he said, giving her a sweet smile, and he handed her the bouquet he just bought. "Truce?"

Tomoyo accepted his offering with a tinge of pink on her cheeks. "Alright," she answered.

The peddler gave her a nice smile. "A pretty one you have here, Sir Eriol," she plucked out a single white rose from her goods and handed it to Tomoyo. "She's a mite prettier than the last 'un you know,"

The smile on Eriol's face suddenly disappeared. "Thanks you for the flowers, Madam. We should go now," he said, walking away from the shop, Tomoyo behind him.

"Is Mizuki-san the one she was talking about?" Tomoyo asked curiously as she clutched the flowers against her chest, trying to keep up with Eriol's quick strides.

"Yes," was all she got from him.

"Oh," she responded, falling in step with him despite his quick feet. "You shouldn't trust that woman's opinion, Hiiragizawa-kun, everyone knows that Mizuki-san is the prettiest woman in Tomoeda and she was just surely praising me because—"

"No explanation is necessary, Daidouji-san," Eriol said without looking at her, his tone clipped.

"But she just insulted the woman you love the most, comparing her to a plain thing like me, surely you would—"

Again he cut her off. "You are not plain, Daidouji-san. Truth be told, you do seem more beautiful than any woman I know, even Kaho," he said, and instead of feeling complimented, Tomoyo felt insulted because of the way he said it. Like he didn't mean a darned word.

"There's no need to insult me," Tomoyo said, her voice rising. "I know very well I look like a hen compared to the beautiful swan Mizuki-san, but there really is no need to slap it in my face,"

Eriol turned to look at her, a look of bewilderment on his face.

"You think what I said was an insult?" he asked. "And goodness, you're absolutely nothing like a hen, although you squawk like one on occasion,"

That comment earned him a punch on the arm by Tomoyo herself.

"I most absolutely do not squawk, Hiiragizawa-kun," she said huffily.

"Okay, so you do not squawk," Eriol said as they stopped walking. They were facing each other, and only a little distance separated them.

Tomoyo waited with an eyebrow raised for his punch line.

"But do you henpeck, Daidouji-san?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

It was done before she knew it. She walked back to her hotel room, a huge grin on her face.

She certainly wouldn't mind being called a hen now.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

He supposed he had done it purely on impulse. Or maybe because she had looked too pretty for her own good that he had succumbed to his craving.

He didn't mean to do it, really, but perhaps it was the sudden light-headed feeling every time she was around him that caused him to do it.

He was glad the other part of his soul was okay with the new changes happening to him.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

A/n: Hello. ) I'm back… this would be my Christmas present to you guys. You can give me something back if you like. Just push that little review bottom there and I would be very happy. )

Index:

Ohayou gozaimasu- good morning.

Odekake desu ka?- going out?

Iwanu ga hana- some things are better left unsaid.

Mi ni oboe no nai koto da!- I did no such thing!


	4. Trouble Ahead!

Runaway 

By cenagurl

A/n: My very first CCS fic… please review! And so sorry for not updating long.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Chapter 4:

Li Syaoran was not one bit amused with his fiancé's scheme.

And although he loved her to distraction and would be willing to do anything for his beloved Sakura, he was still reluctant in agreeing with her plan.

"Onegai, Syaoran-kun?" she had gazed at him with those pleading emerald eyes that had turned his knees to putty, and he found himself saying yes to whatever god-forsaken thing she had been begging about.

"Yokatta! Arigato gozaimasu, Syaoran-kun!" Sakura said happily, giving him a tight hug and a rewarding kiss that had left him more senseless, if that was possible.

He knew he had made a mistake when he had bought the two tickets to England Sakura asked him to purchase so she could play paparazzi on Tomoyo while the poor, unsuspecting best friend took her vacation.

And she had even invited Yukito, Meiling and Keroberos to tag along, and the moment they boarded the plane, the mayhem began.

The yellow stuffed lion wouldn't stay put in Sakura's backpack; he had somehow escaped and had quickly headed to the kitchen where he had gobbled the sweet deserts which were supposed to be served to the passengers for after dinner.

The poor chef had rummaged the whole room for the missing sweets but no evidence was left; Karma for Keroberos came stealthily, not even giving him any time to brace himself for the unexpected attack.

He had been flying unsteadily back to his mistress, his stomach bulging with food, when all of a sudden, small nimble hands smeared with what he suspected was a mix of saliva and fudge grabbed him by the tail and nearly squeezed the life out of him as he came face to face with a little girl with huge blue eyes and chocolate stained face.

"Kawaii!" she had squealed, dropping a sloppy kiss on Keroberos' face. "Look what I found, 'kaa-chan!" she spun around and shoved him under her mother's nose.

"That's nice dear," the woman said idly, not paying her daughter any attention as she turned the page of the newspaper she was reading.

The poor lion guardian then had to endure four hours under the little girl's company, being pinched and prodded until he nearly wished to have an early appointment with his Maker.

To his utter relief, the girl fell asleep a few moments later and he was able to wiggle himself out of her vise-like grasp.

"Kero-chan, what happened to you?" Sakura asked when she saw him fluttering tiredly towards her, all grimy from the girl's evil crutches. "You got chocolate all over you!"

"Can I have a wet tissue?" Keroberos asked flatly, refusing to tell his mistress of the trouble he had just gotten himself into. Sakura quickly brandished a pack of wet tissue and handed it to him.

"Have you been in the kitchen?" Syaoran barked at the little creature with a matching glare.

"It's none of your business, brat," Keroberos spat out as he wiped the chocolate stains from his fur.

Yukito and Meiling rose from their seats behind Sakura and Syaoran. "What's the racket?" Meiling asked, pushing back a long silky lock of raven hair from her face as she gave Keroberos a pointed glance.

"Have you gotten yourself into trouble again, Kero?" Yukito asked his comrade. He had already been aware of what he was and what his role was as Sakura's guardian years back.

"Shut it, Yue," Keroberos growled, opening the zipper of Sakura's bag with haste. He wedged himself inside and there was silence.

Yukito sat once more, while Meiling, who made no move to sit back down, asked Sakura, "When are we getting there anyway? Does Daidouji-chan know we're coming?"

Sakura visibly sweat-dropped at the question. "W-well, she does not exactly know… But aren't you curious how she and Eriol-kun are doing?"

"Hiiragizawa's been with Daidouji the past week?" Syaoran said, looking thoroughly shocked with the piece of news his fiancé had just shared. "How can you trust your best friend to someone like—"

Sakura held up a hand to stop him. "I think Eriol-kun would be perfect for her," she answered quickly. "He's nice, intelligent, and just the gentleman to go with his perfectly good looks,"

"But are you sure Daidouji-chan would want him?" Meiling asked. "She's had more suitors than I could count, and she had discarded every one of them no matter how nice, intelligent and handsome they were,"

Sakura turned to beam at Meiling. "You would be quite surprised at how Tomoyo-chan gushes about Eriol-kun on the phone," she announced, earning raised brows from Syaoran's beautiful cousin. "I swear, it really is quite different now… you'll see when we get there,"

"That is, if we _get_ there," Meiling said dryly as she glanced at her cousin and the small lion stuffed toy, who had jumped out from Sakura's bag and was looking at the verge of engaging in a rumble with him when he head heard the Chinese boy utter a snide insult about him.

"We will get there," Sakura said, giving a pointed glare at Syaoran and Kero. "Even if it means tossing these two from the plane if they don't behave themselves,"

The two quickly quit their fighting at her unusually stern voice. But Kero, wasn't able to stop the comment that went stumbling from his mouth.

"I think it would be best if you think twice about marrying the brat, Sakura. I think being married to a bear would be a better option for you,"

"Why you—"

"Get your filthy hands off me, _gaki_!"

"Syaoran-kun!"

"Oo-oomph!"

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Ouch! That idiot bit me, I'll kill that stupid son of a—"

"Meiling-chan, help me!"

"Meiling-san, can you let me pass? I have to go to the bathroom,"

"Syaoran-kun, stop it! Kero, if you bite him one more time I'll really throw you out the window!"

"Is there a problem, ma'am, sir?"

The flight stewardess's voice jolted them from their chaotic argument. Red-faced and shooting her companions a furious glower, Sakura gave the stewardess a rather forced smile as she said, "It's nothing, my boyfriend and I are just fighting over this stupid stuffed toy he wouldn't keep apart from himself since he was out of his diapers. He just loves it despite its tattered form at the moment, and—"

Her brows suddenly knitted together as she looked at the stewardess once more.

"Chiharu-chan, is that you?" Sakura asked in disbelief. Recognition flashed in her elementary classmate's face and they hugged each other.

"Oh, Sakura-chan, it's so nice to see you!" Chiharu said breathlessly when they broke apart. Her warm honey-colored eyes roamed over Syaoran, who had just stuffed the stiffly unmoving Kero back inside Sakura's bag. "And you're still with Li-kun! That's really sweet," she gushed, her face brightening with emotion.

Syaoran blushed when Sakura squeezed his hand, and he gave Chiharu a helpless smile.

"What about you and Yamazaki-kun?" Sakura asked curiously, and Chiharu flushed.

"We're getting married next spring," she answered, her eyes softening as she recalled her half-exasperating, half-adorable boyfriend.

"I'm so happy for you, Chiharu-chan!" Sakura said enthusiastically, turning her bright emerald eyes to her fiancé. "Syaoran-kun and I are also getting married, three months from now,"

"That's great! Anyway, what brings you guys in a plane to England? Will you be visiting Hiiragizawa-kun?" Chiharu asked, her excitement mirrored in her warm brown eyes.

Sakura beamed. "Hai, and Tomoyo-chan is there as well," she answered promptly, earning a sly twinkle in her friend's eye.

"Hmm, it seems to me that something's going on," she said thoughtfully, pretending to serve them some refreshments from the cart she had been pushing when her fellow stewards started giving her suspicious looks. "I've heard that Tomoyo-chan's been warding off suitors for the past years. Has she finally taken exception with Hiiragizawa-kun?"

"Well, they've only crossed paths by accident…" Sakura began, then launched into the tale on how Tomoyo got hit on the head with a soccer ball from one of Eriol's trainees. Chiharu's delighted laugh indicated how she enjoyed the story, and she stayed a few moments more for more chitchat before resuming her duties.

Sakura was glad that for the rest of the flight, there was little argument between Kero and Syaoran. As they went off the plane, Chiharu hugged each of them goodbye, promising wedding invitations in a few months.

"Oh, and give my regards to Tomoyo-chan and Hiiragizawa-kun, tell them not to forget to invite me to their wedding!"

Sakura had crossed her fingers as soon as Chiharu's words sunk into her head. That she hoped for too.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

Grayson cursed under his breath as he checked his watch for the thirtieth time. He had been waiting at the damned airport for almost three hours already but there was still no sign of his sister.

Completely irritated with the situation, he scanned the crowd with glaring green eyes as he tapped his foot impatiently on the ground.

Finally, to his relief, he finally spotted his sister walking from the huge glass doors, a huge smile on her pretty face.

"Gray!" she shrieked, turning to a run towards her brother, her own green eyes bright with happiness. Gray jogged to meet his sister, and on his haste, he failed to realize a woman heading from the opposite direction in the same speed.

He crashed into her full-force, and while he only staggered a little to regain his balance, she had totally flown away from him, landing ungracefully on her bottom.

Without thinking he rushed over to her, worried he had injured an actual female. He was unprepared for her next move though, because the next thing he knew, he was on the floor pinned by her light weight and the breath knocked out of him.

"You idiot!" the girl was angry, all right, her brown eyes blazing. "You try stealing from me again and I'll kick your sorry butt!"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.

A/n:please review!


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